Gun



K. VULLER.

Gum.

APPLlCATlON FILED MINI-I19. l9l4.

.K. VOLLER.

GUN.

- APPLICATION nuzu Ju'n: l9. 1914.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922..

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WM. w W .2 a i K. VGLLER.

GUN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, I914.

WOW

d il

GUN.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. June 19,

Patented Apr. 18, 192.2. 1914. Serial No. seems.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, d1 STAT I,1313.)

T 0 all 2071 am it may concern Be it known that I, KARL VoLLnR,engineer, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Dusseldorf, 12Scharnhorst strasse, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

gun-at great angles, because for traversing the gun at great angles, itis necessary to move the whole gun carriage over the ground, wherebyaiming'is interfered with; The object of the invention is to provide agun and its carriage which are not subject to this objection. With thisobject in view my invention consists in mounting a pivot gun on acarriage which is provided with two wheels and can be limbered andunlimbere d, so that after unlimbering, it is directly in the positionfor aiming. ever, when thus constructing the gun and its carriage thepressure of the trail eye and the length of the gun and the limber aretoo large. For this reason the preferred form of my invention consistsin so constructing the pivot gun that it can be tilted over to-' wardsthe axis of the wheels, so that the latter take up the main part of theweight. For the purpose of explaining the invention' sev'eral examplesembodying the same have been shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich the same letters of reference have been used in all the views toindicate corresponding parts. In said drawings Fig. 1 is a sideview ofthe gun and lts carriage, V

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on theline 3+3 of'Fi g. 1, Fig. 4c, 5 and 6 are longitudinal sections of adetail showing the same in three different positions, 7 7

Howi 7 Fig. 7 is a detail View showing a braking mechanism provided inthe gun carriage shown in Fig. l, i

Fig. 8-is a side view of a modification of the invention,

Fig. 9 is a cross-section taken on the line 9+9 of Fig. 8 and Fig. 10 isa side View showing a further modification of the invention.

Referring to the example illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, the barrel (Z ofthe gun is mounted in a cradle (3 provided with trunnions b by means ofwhich it has a rocking support on a member Z) which is pivotally mountedon a bracket or pedestal a. The said bracket is mounted on a platform fand is adapted to be rocked about a horizontal. fulcrum c and towardsthe axle 1 of the wheels. The

platform f is disposed between the cheeks g of the gun carriage, and itis adapted to be broadened by means of two lateral .members it carrylngrockable spurs. WVhen the gun carriage is in limbered up position, thelat eral members h are folded upwards. At the side of the bracketwhichis opposite to the fulcrum e claw 7c is secured to. or madeintegral with the bracket a, which is adapted to be brought iuto enagement with an axle 1 provided on the carriage and adapted to beoperated by means of a lever m, so that with the claws in engagementwith each other the rocking brarket a is locked against r0ck in'gmovement about its fulcrum c. When turned downwards and towards the axleof the wheels of the carriage the bracket (1 is locked by means of twoclaws a engaging complementary claws 0 provided on the cradle of thegun. The claws n are slidably mounted on a guide member p disposedtransversely of the carriage and between the sidewalls of the same, andfor moving the same into and out of locking engagement with the claws 0a'shaft g is provided, said shaft having a right and left hand screwengaging in screw threaded'hores of the claws n. In order that the guncan more easily be tilted downwards or upwards, a power storingmechanism is provided which as shown consists of two telescopingcylindrical' sleeves r and s, the sleeve 8 being jointed to an arm I?connected with the bracket 0 Within the sleeves a rod u is V of thebracket a.

guided which is jointed at its outer end to a crosspiece v secured tothe side walls of the carriage. The rod u is made integral with a rod wof within the sleeve 8. Within the sleeve 11 a coiled spring a" islocated which bears with one end on a cap 7" screwed to the sleeve 1'and with its opposite end on a grooved cap g provided on the rod a,which in the posi tion shown in Figure bears on the shoulder provided bythe rod to. In Fig. 1 I have shown the parts of the spring mechanism inthe positions they occupy when the bracket a is upright. When the latteris being turned downwards the tension of the spring is reduced as thecenter of gravitation of the bracket a and the parts mounted thereonapproaches the position above the fulcrum cf This position of the partsis shown in Fig. 5. The balancing spring is now under no tensionwhatever and the cap y is in contact with a flange formed on the innerend of the sleeve 8. center of gravitation moves beyond the positionabove the fulcrum, the cap y is shifted by the flange z of the sleeve 8so as to put.

trail eye on the limber is comparatively small. In order to be able toreduce the said pressure further and to reduce the aggregate length ofthe gun carriage and the limber .the axle of the wheelsv is so connectedwith the gun carriage as to be shiftable relatively thereto. As shownthe axle is provided with a square portion 2 by means of which it isguided in slots 3 of the cheeksof the gun carriage. Between the cheeksof the carriage a tube 4 is rotatably mounted on the axle 1, and isprovided at opposite ends with pinions 5 engaging in cogs 6 secured tothe cheeks of thegun carriage below the slots 3. By means of a lever ora pawl and ratchet mechanism the tube 1 can be rotated so as to shiftthe axle of the wheels in the slots of :thecarriage. In order to lockthe axle in position, and to take the strain from the gearings, whendriving or when firing, blocksare provided which are placed int 7 theslots so as to fill the same.

On the axle 1 a brake is mounted which.

is adapted to be shifted therewith. The

brake mechanism consists-of braking rings 8 disposed one in eachof thehubs 7 of the V 'SVhBGlS. and secured to a sleeve 9 embracing sis thesquare part of the axle of'the wheel;

tween the said jaws a pair of cams 12 are larger diameter which isguided When the located which; are provided on a rock shaft 11 and whichare adapted to spread the rings apart and to force the same into brakingengagenient with the hub 7. For rocking the shaft in the mannerdescribed a lever 13 is provided which can be set in braking positionrelatively to a toothed segment 14.

The trail of the ur) carriage is provided at its end with spurs 15 andwith a lever 17 carrying the trail eye 16, which lever is rockedupwardly for firing to allow spurs 15 to be rammed into the ground.

The example illustrated in Figs 8 and 9 is distinguished from theexample described. with reference to Figs-1 to '7 in so far as insteadof mounting the hubs'of the wheels for shifting displacement relativelyto the bracket to the said bracket is adapted to be shifted towards andaway from the axle of the wheels. It will be understood, that bothconstructions may be providedin the same carriage. 1 p

is shown in the said figures, the bracket (1" is mounted on a platform 6which is shiftable in longitudinal. direction in guide ways formed onthe side walls of the trail 0 of the carriage. The platform is made intwo sections one of which provides a support for the bracket a and isadapted to be rocked relatively to the other one about the fulcrum g, sothat the gun can be tilted downwards and towards the axle of the\YllGGlS inthe same way as has been described with reference to Figs. 1to 7 To the front. part of the platform 6 a nut (Z is secured which isengaged by a screwthreaded rod 6 mounted on the frame of the trail'ofthe carriage and adapted to be rotated by means of a crank f so-as toadvance or retract the platform 6' with the barrel ofthe gun mountedthereon. V

In the construction shown in Fig. 8 the platform is prevented from beinglifted from the frame of the gun carriage when in firing position by oneor more claws h secured to the frame of the carriage. For driving, thegun is shifted forwards by turning the crank f and thereupon tiltedabout its fulcrum gQuntil itarrives in the position shown in brokenlines.

In the example shown in Fig. 10 it is not necessary to shift the axle ofthe wheels or the bracket a or a, the bracket a being connected withitsfulcrum through a forwardly projecting arm 9 so that when turning thesaid bracket thecenter of gravitation of the bracket and the partscarried-thereby is brought near the axle of the wheels with outproviding specialshifting means.-

I The barrel of the gun is mounted on the cradles which is supported bytrunnions b on the upper part of the bracket (L The latter is ,adaptedtobe tilted about its fulcrum 6 towards the axle f of the wheels 7.

The bracket a is formed at its bottom as is particularly important inguns designed for firing on aerial machines.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. A gun carriage having carrying wheels, a gun provided with a support,said support hinged to the carriage in rear of the wheels,

and adapted to be swung toward the wheels for positioning the gun overthe axle of the wheels, and means for supporting the gun above the axleof the wheels.

2. The combination of a gun carriage having elongated slots in the sidesthereof, an axle slidably mounted in the slots of the carriage andhaving carrying wheels mounted thereon, a support having a gun mountedthereon pivotally connected to the carriage, said support being adaptedto be swung forward for positioning the gun over the axle, and means formoving the axle and wheels longitudinally of the carriage.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

KARL voLLER.

Witnesses ADA MARIA BERGER, AUGUST F UGGER.

Titan"

